SEO News: Google Search bug, Country labels, New features in Merchant Center, New type of ads on Maps

**Google Search Indexing Issue**

There was a bug with indexing new content on Google Search recently, causing content from popular publications like Wall Street Journal, New York Times, Reuters, CNN, and others to not be indexed for a few hours. The issue has been resolved, as reported by Barry Schwartz for Search Engine Roundtable.

Google Search Console (GSC) Updates

  • The delay in GSC data reporting has been fixed after significant delays earlier in the month, impacting monthly reporting for many SEO professionals.
  • There is a bug causing daily notifications for adding new owners in the Google Search Console, which is currently being addressed.

Search Interface

  • There are new country labels in snippets indicating where sites operate, with a complex algorithm not solely based on TLDs.
  • Discussions around introducing a filter for users to exclude unwanted resources from search results are ongoing.

AI Optimizations

  • An idea from Gagan Ghotra on optimizing sites for AI-driven search using Google’s “Generative summaries for search results” patent has been shared.
  • Concerns regarding acquiescence bias in AI assistants, where they may provide incorrect information tailored to nonsensical queries without correction.

Ecommerce SEO Updates

  • Google Merchant Center Next introduces new features for better product data management, including attribute rules and supplemental data sources.
  • Google Merchant Center is a free tool for managing product data and tracking performance in search, primarily for Google Shopping experiences.

Miscellaneous Updates

  • New ad formats on Google Maps that suggest stops based on your itinerary.
  • Analysis of Googlebots’ access locations on sites by Dave Smart, revealing interesting patterns.
  • A guide on building expertise, authoritativeness, and trustworthiness (E-A-T) in Google’s eyes, highlighting backlinks and content quality.
  • Sundar Pichai’s potential legal troubles for destruction of evidence related to Google.
  • A list of 50 technical facts about search for AI engineers to be aware of.
  • Tim Berners-Lee and others appealing to the United Nations to keep the internet open and accessible.

Google has recently experienced a bug with indexing new content on Google Search, impacting popular publications like Wall Street Journal, New York Times, Reuters, and CNN. The issue, which lasted for a few hours, has been resolved.

Google Search Console (GSC) has also seen some updates, including the resolution of delays in data reporting, which had impacted monthly reporting for SEO professionals. There is an ongoing issue with daily notifications for adding new owners in GSC, which is currently being addressed.

Google Search is implementing new country labels in snippets, indicating where websites operate. This algorithm is not solely based on Top Level Domains (TLDs). Discussions around introducing a filter for users to exclude unwanted resources from search results are ongoing.

Google has released new features in Merchant Center Next for better product data management, including attribute rules and supplemental data sources. Merchant Center is a free tool for managing product data and tracking performance in search, especially for Google Shopping experiences.

New ad formats have been introduced on Google Maps, which suggest stops based on your itinerary.

In addition to these updates, Google is also exploring AI optimizations, such as optimizing sites for AI-driven search using Google’s “Generative summaries for search results” patent. Concerns regarding acquiescence bias in AI assistants, where they may provide incorrect information without correction, have also been raised.